A SUNSET CLUB. 



The mere idea of another club may be 

 unwelcome in these days of many clubs, 

 yet I am so bold as to desire the exis- 

 tence of a new one ; and I would urge 

 all who can, to become members of it 

 as soon as possible. 



Unlike most clubs, it will have no of- 

 ficers, nor any rules and regulations ; 

 neither will there be initiation fees nor 

 dues to pay. 



The object of the club will be the study 

 of art, as it is displayed in Nature's 

 studio; and the only requisites for mem- 

 bership are a love of beauty and a few 

 minutes' time each day. The club will 

 be in session every day at sunset, and 

 all members are urged to be present at 

 any -place where they can command a 

 view of the western sky. They will thus 

 be enabled to study the latest picture 

 from the brush of that master artist, Na- 

 ture. 



No art gallery on earth can afford its 

 visitors such a succession of master- 

 pieces as will be open to the view of all 

 members of this club. There is no artist 

 so resourceful, none capable of giving 

 such an endless variety of colors and ef- 

 fects as Nature. 



To attempt to describe the beauties 

 that are daily set before us would be 

 vain ; for who can adequately express 

 in words the marvels of a sunset sky? 

 No mere words, however carefully chos- 

 en and accurately used, can convey to the 

 mind its unspeakable glories. These 

 must reach us through our eyes, those 

 ''windows of the soul." Shall it be said 

 of us that we "have eyes and see not" ? 



This evening- the sun went down in - 

 blaze of orange fire, deep and transpar- 

 ent, and a few minutes after the gre 

 ball had dropped below the horizon, the 

 orange glow at the base melted into pale 

 green above, then clear yellow and deli- 

 cate pink, with infinite graduations of 

 exquisite shading. Words fail, and leave 

 me helpless before such a masterpiece 



I can only hope that many other people 

 were enjoying it with me, as its beauties 

 stirred my inmost soul. 



Some days ago the sun's setting was 

 followed by one great expanse of deep 

 orange red from the horizon up to a 

 bank of cloud which hung like a gray 

 curtain, slightly raised, across the west- 

 ern sky. Another day the afterglow 

 was an inimitable, transparent lemon-yel- 

 low, across which were stretched two 

 horizontal bars of rose-colored cloud. In 

 the foreground of these pictures are the 

 beautiful trees, which, having now laid 

 aside their leafy robes, appear in their 

 loveliness and diversity of outline. A 

 good opera glass is a great aid to the 

 fuller enjoyment of the pictures, as it 

 brings out the perspective more clearly, 

 and deepens and intensifies the colors. 



When a day has been clouded and dull, 

 some may think it not worth while to at- 

 tend the meeting of the Sunset Club. 

 But they are mistaken. Who that ad- 

 mires a beautiful picture in black and 

 white — a fine engraving — can fail to see 

 the beauty of this sunset picture ; this 

 living picture in half tones, which is so 

 superior, so much more perfect in everv 

 detail than the work of man ? Nay, never 

 miss a meeting if you can possibly be 

 present: never fear that you will fail to 

 find beauty there if you look for it. 



Let us not complain if we cannot pos- 

 sess works of art wrought by human 

 brains and hands, when we often fail 

 even to look at, much less appreciate, the 

 daily art of Nature which is our birth- 

 right, and which perhaps we regard but 

 lightly, because it is free to everyone with 

 seeing eyes and beauty-loving soul. Let 

 us rather cast off the scales that blind our 

 eyes and hide from us the visible expres- 

 sion of a Creator's love, the beauty of 

 Nature. 



And our lives shall be enriched an 

 hundred fold. 



Anne Wakely Jackson. 



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